Volcano Theatre Company is committed to equal opportunities policy and practice and will ensure that all employees and service users, both actual and potential, are treated equally and as individuals regardless of age, disability, ethnic or national origin, sex or gender, marital or parental status, political belief, race, religion or sexual orientation.

In implementing this policy Volcano Theatre Company will take account of existing relevant legislation: primarily the Equality Act 2010 and the Welsh Language Measure 2011, and also the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015.

Under the Equalities Act 2010, no person may be discriminated against or treated less favourably than another on account of the following protected characteristics:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

In addition, the Welsh Language Measure encodes the following principles:

• Welsh should not be treated less favourably than the English Language in Wales
• People should be able to live their lives in Wales through the medium of Welsh if they so wish.

This Equality & Diversity Policy applies to all aspects of the organisation’s work, including:

• The appointment of members to its Board of Trustees.
• The appointment of staff, their conditions of work and employment procedures.
• All dealings with the public and service users.
• Engaging volunteers.

Volcano Theatre Company will operate a Strategic Equality Plan (reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees) and is bound by the Cultural Contract applicable to organisations in receipt of public funding in Wales. The company recognises and endorses the social definition of disability, affirms that Black Lives Matter, and recognises the equal status of Welsh and English as official languages of Wales. The company endorses the artistic and ethical case for diversity and the recognises the detrimental effect of inequality on the cultural, social and political life of the nation.

Board of Trustees

Volcano Theatre Company recognises that our Board is not yet fully representative of the diversity of Wales or of our local community. We recognise this as indicative of persistent structural inequalities and acknowledge our responsibility to work actively to change it. The current Strategic Equality Plan will specify targets and actions. The Board will be responsible for ensuring that the Equality & Diversity Policy is properly implemented, monitored, and reviewed.

Staff

Volcano Theatre Company will ensure that no job applicant, employee or volunteer receives less favourable treatment than another on grounds of the above protected characteristics.

The company is committed to undertaking open recruitment and selection procedures wherever possible and appropriate. All vacancies will be advertised and fair and equitable shortlisting and interview processes will be followed. Employees of the organisation must be apprised of the Equality and Diversity Policy and receive training on equal opportunities issues as appropriate. The company will actively remove barriers to equal recruitment and will make all reasonable adjustments to enable access. It may from time to time take affirmative action to remedy inequality where this is permissible by law and proportionate to the policy objective.

Volcano Theatre Company operates disciplinary and grievance procedures of which all staff are apprised. Behaviour or actions against the spirit and/or letter of the equal opportunity laws on which this policy is based will be considered serious disciplinary matters. All complaints will be investigated.

Public and Service Users

Volcano Theatre Company aims to make its services accessible to as wide a range of the public as possible, and in order to achieve this will take steps to remove barriers which prevent potential audiences, participants and other users from having equal access to the organisation’s activities.

ACTION
This policy is supported by a STRATEGIC EQUALITY PLAN which is updated annually, and which details the actions that will be taken during the current year to implement the policies and principles above.